- Mungai said the cleanup drive is meant to enhance cleanliness and maintain a healthy environment.
- Mamo said despite having robust environmental laws in Kenya, the country can do better if citizens take action and protect the environment to enhance compliance.
Image: FILE
Nema is mulling introducing monthly national cleanups in all the counties.
Nema chairman Eric Mungai made the announcement on Saturday when the authority led the nation in commemorating World Cleanup Day and International Coastal Cleanup Day at Absa grounds in Diani, Kwale county.
Celebrations of the two events are held on the third Saturday of September every year.
Mungai said the cleanup drive is meant to enhance cleanliness and maintain a healthy environment.
"Every day is a cleanup day. Do not dump your waste and expect someone to collect it," he said.
Mungai said he will seek the support of the presidency for the initiative to succeed.
The event was attended by Kwale Environment and Land Court judge Addraya Dena.
Justice Dena urged the community to seek legal redress whenever there is an environmental or land issue instead of taking the law into their own hands.
Nema director general Mamo Mamo said despite having robust environmental laws in Kenya, the country can do better if citizens take action and protect the environment to enhance compliance.
Mamo said although waste management has been devolved, the authority continues to work with the 47 county governments to build their capacity to handle waste.
He said some laws that Nema has developed include the National Solid Waste Management Strategy, the National Marine Litter Action Plan, launched during UNEA 5.2, and Sustainable Waste Management Act, 2021 which emphasises circular economy and cleaner production.
During the cleanup on Saturday, 1,200kg of solid waste was collected.
The new initiative comes even as devolved units prepare to shoulder huge responsibilities following the passage of a new law on sustainable waste management.
The Sustainable Waste Management Act, 2021 has tasked devolved units to provide central collection centres for materials that can be recycled.
It seeks to promote sustainable waste management, improve the health of all Kenyans by ensuring a clean and healthy environment and reduce air, land, fresh water and marine pollution.
Under the new law, the devolved units will establish waste management infrastructure to promote source segregation, collection, reuse and set up for material recovery.
The counties will also ensure waste management legislation is in conformity with the Act within a period of one year of coming into operation.
County governments will ensure the disposal of waste generated within their boundaries except where there is an agreed framework for inter-county transportation and disposal.
“County governments shall maintain data on waste management activities and share the information with the National Environment Management Authority,” it states.
Counties are also supposed to incentivise the collection and separation of waste at source in neighbourhoods and informal settlements, ensuring that cities plan for waste management facilities as part of city expansion.
They are also supposed to prepare a county waste management plan and quarterly monitoring reports for cities, urban areas, municipalities and administrative units.
It calls for the establishment of a Waste Management Council, which will be chaired by the Environment CS.
The council will provide analytical support on sustainable waste management to ministries, agencies and county governments.
Nema also plans to reward counties based on how well they manage waste.
The best performing will be rewarded through a scheme, while the least performing will be reprimanded through sanctions.
The initiative aims to ensure that counties have efficient waste management practices in place.
Nema has been providing technical advice to the devolved units on how to handle the waste.
The Environmental Performance Index will help counties up their game.
Edited by A.N